AT&T introduce 3GB and 5GB data plans this weekend

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AT&T has decided to respond to the fact subscribers are using more data every month on contract, and have increased their data allowances accordingly along with the cost of a data subscription.

Until now you had the following three options for data on AT&T:

200MB for $15 per month

2GB for $25 per month

4GB for $45 per month

As of Sunday, January 22, the options change to the following:

300MB for $20 per month

3GB for $30 per month

5GB for $50 per month

The extra data will be welcomed by many, but that extra $5 charge may not, even if it does actually mean AT&T has reduced the cost of data per gigabyte.

Luckily for existing subscribers you aren’t being forced to pay more. Your existing data allowance and pricing remains. If you want a tablet DataConnect contract, then the 3GB and 5GB options are also being made available at the same price. Again, existing subscribers can choose to keep their current plan.

Even with the allowance increases some users will still use more data. If you’re on the 300MB plan, an additional 300MB will cost you $20. 3GB and 5GB plans only have to pay an extra $10 per 1GB used each month.

From a commercial standpoint it makes AT&T look clearly cheaper than Verizon, who offer 2GB for $30. That must surely have been a factor in a decision to change the data/price link: match Verizon on price, but beat it on data.

AT&T is no doubt hoping existing subscribers choose to upgrade and pay an extra $5 a month. What will be interesting to see is how many more users opt for that 5GB plan, especially as 4G LTE is rolled out in more locations.